<B>TWA Through The Years</B>
<B>Oct. 1, 1930</B>
The TWA brand is born when Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express, incorporated five years earlier, merge to form Transcontinental and Western Air Inc. The company won't change its name to Trans World Airlines for another 20 years. That month, TWA inaugurates coast-to-coast all-air service. The cross-country journey takes 36 hours, including an overnight stop in Kansas City.
<B>1937</B>
Sleeper berths are introduced in TWA service.
<B>1939-1940</B>
Howard Hughes acquires control of TWA. Although never holding an official position with the airline, he will own and control TWA for the next 25 years.
<B>1940</B>
TWA offers the first-ever inflight audio entertainment, providing individual receivers for passengers to listen to commercial radio programs. Boeing 307 Stratoliner service also is inaugurated by TWA, providing coast-to-coast travel in 13 hours and 40 minutes. The Stratoliner is the first pressurized, all-weather commercial airliner.
<B>1946</B>
TWA begins transatlantic service with the Lockheed Constellation flying the New York-Gander-Shannon-Paris route.
<B>1952</B>
The first TWA Ambassadors Club opens at Greater Pittsburgh Airport.
<B>1959</B>
TWA initiates jet service between San Francisco and New York.
<B>1961</B>
TWA introduces inflight movies.
<B>1967</B>
The last TWA Constellation is retired from passenger service. TWA becomes the first U.S. airline to go to all-jet service.
<B>1969</B>
TWA inaugurates its transpacific service.
<B>1970</B>
TWA introduces new business class Ambassador Service, featuring "twin seat" accommodations on transcontinental routes.
<B>1979</B>
Trans World Corp. is formed. Subsidiary companies will include Trans World Airlines, Canteen Corp., Hilton International, Spartan Food Service and Century 21 Real Estate. TWA is spun off as a new public company four years later.
<B>1980</B>
TWA introduces the first interline "around the world fare," with Singapore Airlines.
<B>1981-1982</B>
TWA expands "Visit USA" fares to capitalize on its dominant transatlantic/domestic route network.
<B>1984-1985</B>
TWA quietly begins to experiment with corporate discounting through key travel agencies. Carl Icahn in September of 1985 acquires control of TWA. He would take the company private three years later, adding $539.7 million to TWA's debt.
<B>1986</B>
TWA acquires Ozark Airlines and merges Ozark into its operations.
<B>1991</B>
Icahn sells TWA's route authorities from New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago to London to American Airlines for $445 million. A year later, he sells routes from Philadelphia and Baltimore to London to USAir for $50 million.
<B>1993</B>
On Jan. 8, Icahn resigns as chairman of TWA, relinquishing all control and interest. About a week later, TWA inaugurates Comfort Class service, with extra leg room in the main cabin. Less than 10 months later, and nearly two years after filing a petition, TWA completes Chapter 11 reorganization. A second financial reorganization is completed less than two years later.
<B>1995 </B>
CEOs from 23 St. Louis corporations in March grant TWA a one-time cash advance of $35 million. The investment guarantees the group of companies, together called Civic Progress, 110,000 roundtrips while providing TWA with critical liquidity. The same group two years later would inject another $26 million into the airline. Also during that month, TWA introduces Trans World One, its enhanced international business class.
<B>1997</B>
TWA launches Fare Reward, becoming the first carrier to reward frequent flyer mileage based on the fare paid. Many corporate travel managers respond angrily to the program, which they said incentivizes travelers to break corporate travel policies.
<B>1998</B>
TWA in January introduces Trans World First, its new domestic first class service replacing the disbanded Comfort Class, featuring a 60 percent expansion of the number of first class seats in the narrow-body fleet. A month later, TWA introduces TWQ, its new high- frequency business market service. TWA in May launches the new Aviators frequent flyer program, becoming the first airline to link its frequent flyer database to the new Revenue Tracking data warehouse.
<B>1999</B>
Captain William F. Compton becomes TWA's last chief executive officer. By year-end, TWA's corporate account base reaches 5,000, but a month later the carrier reports its 11th consecutive full-year financial loss.
<B>2000</B>
A month after its final financial report, a $35 million third-quarter loss, CEO Bill Compton sends a letter to Missouri corporations, offering enhanced mileage-based incentives in exchange for corporate business.
<B>2001</B>
American Airlines parent AMR Corp. in January reaches an agreement to acquire substantially all of TWA's assets. TWA concurrently files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for a third and final time. Attempts to stay the sale of TWA to AMR Corp. are denied in April by a federal bankruptcy judge, paving the way to closing of the transaction.
<B>July 2001*</B>
All TWA corporate deals will be folded into American Airlines contracts. Initial codesharing between the two airlines will begin.
<B>Early 2002*</B>
TWA to switch from Worldspan to Sabre. American will begin marketing the combined entity as a single airline.
<B>2003-2005*</B>
American will complete TWA integration. The name Trans World Airlines will disappear from the commercial aviation scene.